Toy-top



W. JUNG Jul s; 1934.

TOY- TOP Filed April 1, 1933 Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES.

TOY-TOP Willy Jung, Greiz, Germany Application April 1, 1933, Serial No. 663,897 In Germany April 16, 1932 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a top of the type intended to be spun with a cord and one object of the invention is to provide a top of this character which can be very easily operated by a small child who is unable to properly wind a cord about a top of an ordinary construction and throw the top upon the ground in a spinning position.

Another object of the invention is to provide the improved top with means for supporting it in an upright position upon a sidewalk or the like surface while a cord is being pulled from the top in order to start the top spinning.

Another object of the invention is to so construct and mount the supporting means for the an operative position to a retracted position by centrifugal force when the top is spinning and thereby prevent the supporting means from interfering during spinning of the top.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a View showing the improved top partially in side elevation and partially in vertical section;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the top; and

Figure 3 is a'side elevation of a modified construction.

The improved top which is indicated in general by the numeral 1 has a body which may be formed this body is of substantially an inverted cone shaped and tapers from its flat upper end to its lower end where it terminates in a spinning point 2. The spinning point has been shown formed integral with the body but it is to be understood that this point may be in the form of a plug fitting tightly into a socket at the lowerend of the body.

Slits or passages 3 are formed through the body longitudinally thereof in radial spaced relation to its axis as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that each passage tapers from its upper end for a major portion of its length and thengradually increases in width. Props 4 extend through the passages and each has an upper portion or handle 5 and a lower portion or arm 6. The handle is pivotally mounted upon a pin '7 extending transversely through the passage at the lower end of the downwardly tapered upper portion thereof and the length of the handle is such that its upper end protrudes above the top a sufficient distance to be grasped when the arm is to be moved from the retracted position indicated by dot and dash lines at the right of Figure 1 to the extended position for use shown in full lines. When the arms are extended,

top that movement thereof will be permitted from they project from the lower ends of the passages in such radial spaced relation to the spinning point 2 that this point and the two arms provide an eflicient three-point support for the top. Therefore, the top can be set upon a pavement or CO like surface and will rest upon its point in an upright position. The spinning cord is to be wound about the top in the grooves 8 and when so wound the top can be set in place upon its point 2 where it will be supported by the arms 6 (35 so that the operatorcan place his finger upon the upper face of the top at the center thereof and then pull upon the cord to unwind it and impart spinning motion to the top.

The handles 5 are of greater length and weight than the arms and therefore when spinning motion is imparted to the top, centrifugal force will cause the arms to swing about the pins '7 towards the position indicated by dot and dash lines in Figure 1 and move the arms to a retracted po- 4'5 sition where they will be entirely housed in the lower portions of the passages and not interfere with spinning of the top. If an older child desires to spin the top in the usual manner, the arms can be moved to a retracted position and the cord then wound about the lower portion of the top above the spinning point and the top thrown upon the pavement to land in an upright spinning position. Side walls of the oppositely of wood, metal or any other desired material and tapered upper and lower portions of the slits or passages extend in such angular relation to each other that when a prop is in either a retracted or extended position, its arm and handle will bear against portions of the walls and thus insure proper positioning of the prop.

In Figure 3, there has been illustrated a top having a modified construction. In this embodiment of the invention, the top 9 is similar in shape to the top 1 except that its lower portion has been cut away to forma fiat lower end face from the center of which extends a depending spinning point 10 of greater length than the point 2. Instead of forming passages through this top to receive props, there has been provided a plurality of props or arms 11 spaced from each other circumferentially of the top and pivoted at their upper ends as shown at 12 for swinging movement radially of the top. By this arrangement, the top, after having the cord wound about it, can beset upon its spinning point 10 with the arms 11 extending downwardly to engage the pavement and support the top in an upright position and spinning motion is imparted to the top. As previously explained centrifugal force will swing the arms outwardly and upwardly to the position indicated by dot and dash lines at the right of Figure 3 where they will be out of the way and not interfere with spinning of the top.

There has, therefore, been provided an improved top of such construction that it can be easily spun by a child too young to be able to wrap a cord about a top in the usual manner and spin the top by throwing it upon a pavement.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved top, the operation thereof and the method of applying the same to use will be readily understood. It will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and efiicient means for carrying out the objects of the invention and while I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the prinlower end and terminating in a spinning point, and means to support the top in an upright position upon its spinning point movable out of position to support the top by centrifugal force when the top is spinning.

2. A top comprising a body tapered towards its lower end and terminating in a spinning point, and arms for supporting the top in an upright position upon its spinning point pivotally mounted for movement into and out of a supporting position and movable out of a supporting position by centrifugal'force when the top is spinning.

3. A top comprising a body having a spinning point at its lower end, and arms to support the top in an upright position upon its point pivotally mounted in radial spaced relation to said point and adapted to be swung radially of the top out of a supporting position by centrifugal force when the top is spinning.

4. A top comprising a body having a spinning point at its lower end, said body being formed with longitudinally extending pockets spaced from each other circumferentially of the body about the point, and supporting arms pivotally mounted in said pockets for movement into and out of position to support the top in an upright position upon its spinning point and adapted to be moved out of a supporting position by centrifugal force when the top is spinning.

5. A top comprising a body having a spinning point at its lower end, said body being formed with longitudinally extending pockets spaced from each other circumferentially of the body about the point and opening through upper and lower portions of the body, and props for supporting said top in an upright position upon its spinning point, each prop having a handle extending longitudinally in a pocket and pivoted at its lower end, and an arm extending from the lower end of the arm to project through the lower end of the pocket when in a supporting position, the handles of said props being movable by centrifugal force to swing the arms to retracted positions within the pockets during spinning of the top.

6. A top comprising a body having a spinning point at its lower end, said body being formed with longitudinally extending pockets spaced from each other about the spinning point and opening through upper and lower portions of the body, and props for supporting the top in an upright position upon its spinning point extending longitudinally in said pockets, each prop having a handle pivoted at its lower end in the pocket and having its upper end projecting from the upper end of the pocket, and an arm extending downwardly from the handle to project outwardly from the pocket when in a supporting position, the handle being of greater weight than the arm and having movement imparted thereto by centrifugal force to retract the arm when the top is spinning.

'7. A top comprising a body having a spinning point at its lower end, said body being formed with longitudinally extending pockets spaced from each other about the spinning point and open at their upper and lower ends, and props for supporting the top in an upright position upon its spinning point extending longitudinally in said pockets, said pockets being each tapered downwardly from its upper end for a major portion of its depth and then increasing in diameter to its lower end, each prop having a handle in the tapered upper portion of a pocket pivoted at its lower end for movement radially of the body and having its upper end projecting from the pocket, and an arm of less weight than the hendle extending downwardly from the lower end of the handle and adapted to project from the lower end of the pocket when in a supporting position and movable to a retracted position within the lower portion of the pocket when the handle is swung by centrifugal force during spinning of the top.

8. A top comprising a body tapered towards its lower end and having a flat lower face and a depending spinning point at the center of its lower 7. 

